Valero Energy Corporation (NYSE:VLO) Given Consensus Rating of “Moderate Buy” by Brokerages

Valero Energy Corporation (NYSE:VLO) has been given an average recommendation of “Moderate Buy” by the twenty-one research firms that are currently covering the firm, Marketbeat Ratings reports. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have given a hold rating, eleven have assigned a buy rating and two have assigned a strong buy rating to the company. The average 1-year price objective among brokerages that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $237.9412.

VLO has been the subject of several analyst reports. Scotiabank boosted their target price on shares of Valero Energy from $178.00 to $226.00 and gave the company a “sector outperform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 22nd. TD Cowen boosted their target price on shares of Valero Energy from $255.00 to $276.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research note on Monday, May 4th. Zacks Research upgraded shares of Valero Energy from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, April 21st. Barclays boosted their target price on shares of Valero Energy from $184.00 to $261.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 8th. Finally, BMO Capital Markets boosted their target price on shares of Valero Energy from $230.00 to $270.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Monday, April 6th.

Insider Activity

In related news, SVP Eric A. Fisher sold 8,311 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, March 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $227.69, for a total value of $1,892,331.59. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president directly owned 42,242 shares in the company, valued at $9,618,080.98. The trade was a 16.44% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. 0.36% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Valero Energy

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. State Street Corp increased its holdings in Valero Energy by 0.9% in the 4th quarter. State Street Corp now owns 18,177,191 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock worth $2,959,065,000 after acquiring an additional 163,975 shares in the last quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. increased its holdings in Valero Energy by 0.5% in the 4th quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 11,950,982 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock worth $1,945,500,000 after acquiring an additional 63,919 shares in the last quarter. Norges Bank purchased a new stake in Valero Energy in the 4th quarter worth $1,111,542,000. Franklin Resources Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Valero Energy by 7.5% in the fourth quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 5,668,210 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock worth $922,728,000 after acquiring an additional 394,693 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Barclays PLC boosted its stake in shares of Valero Energy by 5.3% in the third quarter. Barclays PLC now owns 4,143,672 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock worth $705,502,000 after acquiring an additional 209,597 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 78.69% of the company’s stock.

Valero Energy News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Valero Energy this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Valero was highlighted on “best low-beta” stock screens, suggesting investors may be rotating into steadier, less volatile names during market turbulence. Best Low-Beta Stocks to Own Right Away: LQDA, CBOE, VLO & FANG
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts at Erste Group raised FY2027 EPS estimates for Valero, signaling improving earnings expectations. Valero Energy estimate update
• Positive Sentiment: Morgan Stanley lifted its price target on Valero to $232 from $222, pointing to stronger-than-expected first-quarter results and reinforcing a constructive view on the stock. Morgan Stanley Raises its Price Target on Valero Energy (VLO) to $232
• Positive Sentiment: Valero was added to a Zacks Rank #1 “Strong Buy” growth list, which can draw momentum and growth-oriented investors. Best Growth Stocks to Buy for May 7th
• Positive Sentiment: The company declared a quarterly cash dividend of $1.20 per share, confirming shareholder returns and supporting income-investor demand. Valero Energy Corporation Declares Regular Cash Dividend on Common Stock
• Neutral Sentiment: Valero also appeared in PEG-driven “GARP” stock roundups, highlighting its mix of value and growth but offering no new company-specific catalyst. Zacks.com featured highlights include Dow, Valero Energy, Ultrapar Participacoes and Nexa Resources

Valero Energy Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE VLO opened at $240.81 on Monday. The company has a current ratio of 1.58, a quick ratio of 1.11 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.39. Valero Energy has a 12 month low of $121.41 and a 12 month high of $258.43. The company has a 50 day simple moving average of $234.82 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $198.52. The stock has a market cap of $72.01 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 17.50, a PEG ratio of 0.34 and a beta of 0.58.

Valero Energy (NYSE:VLO) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 30th. The oil and gas company reported $4.22 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $3.16 by $1.06. Valero Energy had a net margin of 3.37% and a return on equity of 15.94%. The business had revenue of $32.38 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $31.38 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $0.89 EPS. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 7.0% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, analysts predict that Valero Energy will post 27.55 earnings per share for the current year.

Valero Energy Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, June 23rd. Investors of record on Thursday, May 21st will be paid a $1.20 dividend. This represents a $4.80 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.0%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, May 21st. Valero Energy’s payout ratio is currently 34.88%.

About Valero Energy

Valero Energy Corporation is a San Antonio, Texas–based integrated downstream energy company that manufactures and markets transportation fuels, petrochemical feedstocks and other industrial products. The company’s operations focus on refining crude oil into finished fuels such as gasoline, diesel and jet fuel, as well as producing asphalt and other refined product streams for commercial and industrial customers.

In addition to refining, Valero has significant operations in renewable fuels, including the production of ethanol and other biofuels, and it manages an extensive logistics network of pipelines, terminals, rail and marine assets to move feedstocks and finished products.